Sir Keir Starmer faces rebellion over refusal to launch national inquiry into grooming gangs
THE PM faces a rebellion over his refusal to launch a national inquiry into grooming gangs.
Sir Keir Starmer has rejected an investigation into rapes mainly of white girls by Asian gangs.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper yesterday said a series of local inquiries would still go ahead.
She said: “The framework is being drawn up at the moment.
“There’s been, sadly, a lot of, I think, party political misinformation about this.
“What we should be doing is all working together to support victims and survivors of these really vile crimes.
“What we’re also doing is we’re putting in place stronger measures.
“We’re strengthening the law into these gangs, and we’re also increasing police investigations, which is the most important thing of all, because, frankly, these perpetrators should be behind bars, and if you don’t get the police investigations in place, that won’t happen.”
But Blue Labour, set up by Lord Glasman, insisted: “This is a national evil that requires a national response.”
The campaign group added: “The decades-long abuse of young girls and its cover-up is a sickness that must be exorcised.”
Tories accused Labour of breaking commitments to inquiries in northern towns where the abuse occurred.
Ms Cooper said “We’re still going ahead.”